Of French, Art, and Pick-Up Lines
by Laurenbinx
Summary: Yukari has been entranced ever since she laid eyes on the aloof girl in her art class. Can she work up the courage to confess with a bit of not so helpful advice from her friends and some cheesy pick-up lines? And why is her life suddenly becoming so complicated? All she wants to do is cuddle with Aria and play video games! Yukari/IA


**Thanks for stopping by! This is my first fanfiction in _years_. I plan to write more chapters for this~ It'll probably end up getting less fluff and more complicated later on. Constructive criticism and reviews are greatly, greatly appreciated! Enjoy! (At least a little, hopefully.)**

* * *

Yukari Yuzuki was staring. She had been for the past five, very possibly twenty, minutes. It wasn't her fault, though. How could she expected to keep her eyes off the enigma that sat across the classroom? Impossible, simply impossible!

The girl that was the target of her poorly concealed purple gaze was seated five _way too far away_ desks in front of her. Currently, said girl had her elbow propped up on the wobbly wooden desk, her cheek resting on an open palm. Yukari couldn't, sadly, see her face through the girl's cascading blonde hair—it was such a light shade, she'd nearly mistaken it for white when she had first seen it—but she could guess that the girl's eyes were glued to the teacher, as they always were during a lesson, that vague sleepiness clouding them.

_'Aria…'_ Yukari mentally sighed, burying her burning face in her hands. She wasn't a stalker, was she? Surely ogling at someone for the whole class didn't make her a weirdo? Surely having a 'star-crossed lover crush', as her friend Cul put it, on the girl for over a year didn't make her obsessed? No, it definitely did. Whether she liked it or not, the persistent thoughts of Aria wouldn't leave alone her for even a minute! She had thought she could finally work up the courage today, but…

"Miss Yuzuki?"

No, no, no, she had to do it today, or she never would!

"…Yukari Yuzuki?"

After all, it was already the last semester of the year, and Aria was a senior, a whole year ahead of Yukari. If she didn't confess now, then she might never—

"Yukari, your daydreams are full of French, I hope?" A voice tickled her ear, causing her to jolt into a rigid position with a squeal. With a hand clamped firmly to the assaulted ear, she looked over her shoulder, meeting the bemused sapphire gaze of her French Teacher, Ms. Alys.

Oh, geez! She could practically feel all the gazes of her classmates on her. Her face colored an impressive bright red, the flaming blush creeping onto the very tips of her ears and down her neck. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly as she fumbled to speak the words caught in her throat.

"U-U-Uhm, I…Yes! Full, full, _full_ of French. I, err, just love it so much, I—_J-Je aime les lapins_!" At this point, there was multiple beads of nervous sweat dripping down her forehead as her lips twitched into an unsure smile, her teacher's eyebrow raising with amusement.

"Nearly the end of the year, and all you can say is 'I like rabbits'?" Ms. Alys shook her head back and forth in mock disappointment, her braid swishing with the action, though the twitch of her lips revealed that she was clearly more than overjoyed to revel in Yukari's embarrassed torture. She was that kind of teacher, not particularly strict despite the difficulty of the subject she taught, but she never passed up a chance to poke fun at her students. She had probably been a troublemaker during her school days…

Yukari pressed her index fingers together, opting to stare at the tiled floor. Oh, interesting, that tile seemed a little out of place.

"_Je aime vraiment les lapins_…" Her voice was now a murmur, but still loud enough to be heard in the silence of the room. She could hear the giggles and snickers of her peers, the crimson on her face spreading like a forest fire. Luckily, Cul wasn't in this class to poke fun at her about being a stuttering mess, but...Miki and Oliver were, two classmates also in her rag-tag group of friends, and even more importantly…Aria was watching her in all her embarrassed glory!

Mrs. Alys patted her head sympathetically, roaring with a booming laugh that could almost be considered scary. "Calm down~ I don't want you exploding in my classroom, the janitor would _hate_ having to clean up guts." With that, her teacher strutted back up toward the board, leaving a pouting Yukari behind. Ugh, that was the fifteenth time this year that Mrs. Alys managed to embarrass her—Though, it was mostly her fault for not paying attention…But, she only took French because she heard there was 'pasta parties'; she actually had no interest whatsoever in the language. To be honest, she preferred Spanish, but that class was pasta-less _and_ Aria-less.

She looked back up once she was sure that the majority of the students were no longer paying any attention to her, telling herself to actually listen to the lesson for once, when purple met blue. She froze like a deer caught in headlights, startled by Aria's eyes. _Beautiful azure eyes that she would gladly drown in_…Wait, wait, wait, Aria was _still_ looking at her? Was that…Was that a faint smile on the girl's lips?

With fear of becoming a tomato once again if she stared into Aria's eyes any longer, she raised her shoulders and turned her attention to the animate Mrs. Alys, biting her lower lip in an effort to keep herself from looking back. It was _so going to be a long day_.

* * *

**~~One Year Earlier~~**

_There was no way she could do it. A whole class full of juniors, her being the only sophomore? No, impossible! She was hardly good at conversing with strangers, but upperclassman? No thank you! The only junior that she even vaguely knew was Gumi, and that was only because Miki brought her to their lunch table a few times. It was only an art class, but still…She was required to take at least one art, and the sophomore class had been full since she signed up a bit late._

_"Can you hurry up? The bell's 'bout to ring." A voice behind her groaned, causing her to start. Ah, right, she'd been standing there contemplating for at least a minute. With an intake of breath, she stepped into the foreboding classroom, her hands gripping the straps of her bunny spotted backpack._

_She sat down at the nearest black table, pretty similar to the ones used in the science lab, except for the fact that paint stains and brushes carelessly littered it. The teacher still hadn't arrived, despite it being the first day, so chatter and conversation filled the messy room. Her posture still rigid, she placed her hands in her lap, quietly observing the classroom's occupants._

_At the table nearest to hers, two rather short kids with startling blonde hair—Twins?—were in a heated debate about whether the color yellow or orange would win in a fight. The other two at the table, an obviously older looking girl with blonde hair as well (she almost looked like she could be the other two's older sister), and a boy with the shiniest purple hair watched the two with a mixture of exasperation and amusement, as if they were used to their bickering._

_She puffed air into her cheeks, her eyebrows scrunching together. Those four seem like good friends, so it might be hard to get into a conversation without seeming like an awkward intruder. Resisting the urge to pull her bunny-eared hoody over her head in an attempt to hide, she shifted her gaze to the only other occupied table, the one to her immediate right._

_She nearly gasped out loud. There sat the school's poster couple! She, for once, actually knew their names: Kaito and Meiko. They were both beautiful, with their smooth features and even smoother hair, and complimented each other even more so with their personalities—or, so she heard, at least. It's also said that last year, despite the fact that they were sophomores, they both won the title of Prom King and Queen. Not that it was a big deal to her, but it was strange for it not to be a senior couple. Though, she could see why they would be chosen._

_When her purple eyes fell onto the last occupant of the table, she swore her heart skipped a beat. There sat a girl…but could she even be considered just that? Her startling pale skin appeared to be unblemished, not tinted red as her own so often was. Her white hair—no, it was actually a pale blonde—framed her face with two delicate braids, and then spilled down her back and over the chair. Yukari couldn't imagine her own hair ever being that long. But, what caught her attention the most was the girl's eyes._

_They were so, so blue, close to azure. She felt she could lose herself in them, drown in them as if they were an ocean, an ocean she would happily let herself sink in and never struggle to come to the surface. Yukari was horrible at reading people, but this girl's whole posture screamed aloofness. The way her eyebrows were ever so slightly raised, her sleep clouded yet wide eyes; how she sat straight up with her eyes glued to the book in her hands, not even reacting to the loud argument of the twins._

_And, strangely enough, she felt the urge to make that girl smile. She wanted to see those eyes light up, her pink lips twitch into a grin, her—Oh, god. Her life was turning into some cheesy romance novel, and Miki had made her read more than enough of those. She wasn't even a romantic! Or, she never considered herself one, but when she looked at the delicate creature across the room…No, no, no! This could not be happening!_

_While her thoughts ran a mile a minute with panic, the art teacher entered the room, his bowtie askew along with his tousled hair._

_"Okay, class…Uh, right. Today, just pair up. Get to know one another. Draw a portrait of your partner or something." She effectively snapped out of her thoughts with those words. Partner, seriously? Couldn't she just draw a rabbit? Of course, the others were already paired up. The twins, silky-hair-guy and older-looking-twin, and Meiko and Kaito. She saw Meiko snap the book shut in the other girls hands, leaning forward across the table._

_"Aria, you'll have to put a pause on your wizardly adventures—Yeah, I'm sorry, don't give me that look—Get a partner. Draw a portrait of each other. Simple. You'll be done in a snap." To emphasize her point, Meiko snapped her fingers. Kaito seemed to be giving her a 'you did not seriously just touch her book she's so going to kill you' look._

_But, instead of violently murdering Meiko, Aria merely let a small sigh pass her lips before standing up, her hair swishing behind her. "Fine. Who's my partner?" Yukari nearly fainted at the sound of her voice. It was just so soft and delicate, like a rabbit or something…She suddenly felt the urge to pound her head on the table._

_"Uh, well," Kaito started, rubbing the back of his head. "Everyone seems to be…Oh, wait! There's that girl over there. See? She's looking right at us."_

_Yukari's cheeks flushed at being caught staring, and then the color flowed back into them, ten times redder than before. She tilted her head down to bore her eyes into the table, hoping she'd just disappear somewhere that didn't turn her into a blushing mess._

_A light tap sounded in front of her. There stood Aria, the goddess herself, looking at her with a slightly more bored gaze now that her book wasn't in front of her. Yukari couldn't help but gulp._

_"O-Oh, right, partners. There's no one else, is there?" She jerked, lifting her hands up to wave them in a flustered panic. "That's not a bad thing, though! I mean, I'm sure you're an awesome partner, it's just that I'm probably not." Nonono, she could practically feel the blush creeping down her neck. "Not that I won't try! I-I'm just not good at drawing…Well, I_ can _draw a pretty darn good bunny, but people…Err, so if there was someone else, you would have better luck with them, but there isn't, so…That's probably what I meant…"_

_At this point, Aria had risen a single eyebrow, her head tilted a bit in a rather cute manner. For a moment, it seemed like she was smiling…No, that was totally a smirk!_

_"Oh, you're done?" Aria asked after a pause, her frown returning. "Your rant was getting interesting."_

_"R-Rant? Interesting—?"_

_Aria slid into a chair, resting her cheek in her hand. "Don't worry so much. Just draw a rabbit if that's easier for you."_

_"B-But didn't the teacher say…"_

_"Him? He never grades our work. He just wants to keep us busy." Again, that flicker of a faint smile crossed her face. "I really want to see your 'pretty darn good bunny'. Please?"_

_Somehow, Yukari got the feeling she was being teased, but she really didn't mind. Not when those eyes were focused solely on her._

_"Y-Yeah, of course! One bunny coming up!" _

_With that, the two talked more and more during their shared art class. Yukari learned that while Aria was quiet and generally choose a book over people, she was passionate about art, and was quite the subtle teaser. Though, that distant air around her still seemed impenetrable. She had felt that maybe, just maybe, they could become friends (maybe even something more?), but Aria moved out of the class at the beginning of second semester. Yukari didn't see her again until the following year, in her French class, but…Aria seemed even more distant whenever she had attempted to talk to her. Had Yukari done something wrong?_

* * *

Yukari groaned as she pressed her forehead against the cool lunch table, her shoulders slumping with defeat.

"Failed again?" Oliver asked between bites of his sandwich, his single eye on her.

"No, no, no, it's more like I never tried." Her muffled voice whined as she peered up through her bangs. "I have no idea what to do! I can't just exactly go up and say 'I know we don't know each other that well but I'm kind of in love with you.'"

Cul leaned across the table and smacked Yukari across the head, earning an 'ouch' from the girl. "'Course you can! Being direct is the best way to go, Yukari!"

"You can say that, Cul. You're a little too direct." Miki pointed out, giving Yukari a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Don't listen to her, she doesn't have a romantic bone in her body! You have to handle this things with care! Care! Like…" She clucked her tongue. "A love letter full of the words in your heart!"

"Really? _Please_ tell me you're not that cliché, Miki." Mayu spoke up from across the table, a smug smile plastered onto her face. "Don't listen to her, Yukari. This is what you have to do—"

"Last I recall," Oliver interrupted her. "You put the last person who rejected you in the hospital. _The hospital, Mayu._ I don't think you should be giving romantic advice."

"How else was I supposed to show him I was serious?" Mayu lifted her chin up with an annoyed huff. "And when is the last time you dated someone, Oliver? _Oh_, right, you're still awaiting your love that moved away in fifth grade—"

"That was serious!" He growled, bread crumbs scattered around his mouth and chin. "Nothing can compare to the love we had!"

"You know, Miki is the only one here in a relationship…" Yukari mumbled, praying that the two wouldn't end up in another argument where they would be forced to pry Mayu off of Oliver. Seriously, this had to be an every other day thing.

"No way, don't even go there, Yukari." Cul raised her arms in an X. "Her and Gumi are so unreal. D'ya see the way they stare into each others eyes before goin' to their next class? I feel like I'm watching the Titanic all over again."

"Me and Gumi are in love!" Miki crossed her arms, her eyes practically on fire with passion. Was this the so called power of love? "We are each other's one and only, forever. Nothing, not even a zombie apocalypse, could come between us! We—"

Cul shook her head vigorously, her arms still risen in the X as she made a beeping sound. "Nu-uh, no good. You and your unrealistic relationship are no good. You're out."

Cul splayed one arm over Yukari's shoulders with a toothy grin, leaning in to whisper. "Look, you wanna get the girl? Trust me, this is what you gotta do."

* * *

Yukari lifted her hand to knock, and then put it back down. She lifted it again. Down. Up. Down. Oh, god, there was no way she could do this.

With Cul's advice (really, she wasn't sure how well her friends plan would work, but itt was all she had) she had managed to gather the little itsy bit of courage she had to face Aria. She was going to put it off until tomorrow, but Cul had immediately tsked and told her to strike while the iron was hot.

So here she was, after school hours, standing outside the art club room. This is where Aria comes everyday after school—no, she is not a stalker, she found out when she had to help Miki and her club move some art supplies.

What if others were in there? Could she really do this? What if she messed up and made everything worse? Or...Or what if she made Aria hate her? What if—She hit her hands to her cheeks, letting out a nervous breath. No, she had to do this! Now or never, as they say!

With shaky determination, she opened the door and stepped inside. As she expected, only Aria was in the art room, diligently working on a painting. She couldn't see it well across the room, but it looked to have a variety of shapes and darker hues. Aria blinked at her for a moment, her eyebrows drawing together. Yukari thought her expression looked a bit conflicted…Her imagination?

"Aria!" Yukari stood straight, her arms at her sides, as if she was about to shout a battle cry. With the wisely advice of Cul, she opened her mouth and proclaimed—"You may fall from the sky, you may fall from a tree, but the best way to fall…is in love with…me?"

After those horrible, _horrible_ words left her mouth, she knew that she would have to go into hiding for the next ten years from pure and utter embarrassment. Aria simply looked at her, her mouth open in a small 'o', probably too shocked to say anything.

"N-N-No, I mean, that's not what I meant…!" She pulled out the handy-dandy cards Cul made for her from her jacket pocket. They were supposed to be for an emergency…"M-My name might not be Lovegood, but I sure know how to Luna—Wait, no."

She shuffled through the flashcards, tears blurring her vision as they gathered up in the corners of her eyes. She was totally about to puke. "Can I tie...No, no. Name…Google?" The cards slipped from her sweaty hands, tumbling to the floor in a pick-up line mess.

She dropped to her knees at lightning speed, her hood falling over her head as she tilted her head down to pick up the cards and avoid looking at her crush (who was probably torn between laughing at her and cringing).

A finger suddenly touched her chin, tilting her head upward. Purple met blue for the second time that day. The softest smile was placed on Aria's lips, and Yukari swore her heart would explode in a horrid mess right then and there.

Aria pulled Yukari's hood back, leaning forward so that her breath tickled Yukari's ear. "Even if there wasn't any gravity on Earth, I would still fall for you."


End file.
